England’s Zak Crawley closes in on century against Sri Lanka Cricket Board XI
Opener Zak Crawley moved within sight of a century on the final morning of England’s warm-up match against a Sri Lanka Cricket Board XI in Katunayake.
Crawley hit a fluent 43 on day one and was in even better touch in the tourists’ second innings, reaching 91 not out in a lunch score of 170 for three.
The 22-year-old made 103 in a warm-up match at Whangarei in November and scored 17 boundaries as he closed in on repeating that feat, driving emphatically and shaping up well against spin.
Crawley races into the 90s with back to back boundaries off Pushpakumara, the second a neat sweep. Might be looking to get there before lunch then retire.
— Rory Dollard (@thervd) March 9, 2020
England had resumed on their overnight score of 39 for one and added another 131 runs for the loss of two wickets in a positive first session.
Joe Denly was first to go for 27, brilliantly caught one handed by Priyamal Perera at second slip, and Ben Stokes raced to 43 in in just 42 balls before holing out chasing a fifth successive boundary.
Stokes had been promoted to number four having faced just five deliveries on Saturday and found his feet quickly, accelerating sharply when he dispatched the first four balls of a Duvindu Tillakaratne over to the ropes.
He fell to the fifth, looking to plant it over long-off but falling well short.
